About this Book

Book Summary

Why are some kids able to overcome overwhelming obstacles while others become victims of early experiences and environments? Find out how to raise resilient children in this practical and inspirational book.

If Beaver of "Leave It to Beaver" were alive today, he might not be doing so well. The increased stress, pressure, and demands on the children of today have caused an alarming increase in childhood depression, health disorders, and antisocial behavior. However, numerous scientific studies of children facing great adversity have shown just how important resilience is for successful growth.

In this much-anticipated work, two renowned child psychologists synthesize a large body of scientific literature on the concept of resilience, making it palatable, understandable, and, most important, practical. Dr. Robert Brooks and Dr. Sam Goldstein not only explore why some kids are able to overcome overwhelming obstacles while others become victims of early experiences and environments but also demonstrate how resilience must be applied to every parenting practice to prepare our children for the challenges of today's complicated, ever-changing world. They also explain how many parents, despite the best intentions, unwittingly undermine their children's capacity for resilience, and they offer effective strategies for identifying and eliminating these "negative scripts." Raising Resilient Children is an engaging and wise work filled with vivid anecdotes from the authors' own practices that will inspire parents and all others concerned about our youth.

The Dreams and Wishes of Parents

What is it that most parents want for their children? Happiness, success in school, satisfaction with their lives, and solid friendships quickly come to mind. If we examine our parental goals, it would not be an oversimplification to conclude that realization of these goals requires that our children have the inner strength to deal competently and successfully, day after day, with the challenges and demands they encounter. We call this capacity to cope and feel competent resilience.

Resilience embraces the ability of a child to deal more effectively with stress and pressure, to cope with everyday challenges, to bounce back from disappointments, adversity, and trauma, to develop clear and realistic goals, to solve problems, to relate comfortably with others, and to treat oneself and others with respect. Numerous scientific studies of children facing great adversity in their lives support the importance of resilience as a powerful force. ...

Reviews

Media Reviews

Library Journal

This not-to-be-missed book debunks the old paradigm (Good enough for me; I turned out OK) and replaces it with a new model fostering resilience capable of meeting obstacles head-on. Recommended for all parenting collections.

Publisher's Weekly

An abundance of real-life examples encountered in the authors' own practices further helps to unite principle and theory with action, and while the subject-specific chapters encourage browsing, the down-to-earth strategies ensure that this title will be used as well as read. Though the book's straightforward, collaborative we yields a slightly lackluster voice, ultimately it doesn't impede the transmission of this truly valuable material.

T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of The Irreducible Needs of Children
Obviously written by talented therapists, Raising Resilient Children is such a well-written, easy to-read, and helpful book for parents. It is timely, for all parents are hungry for such advice and guidance in raising resilient children. All families live with stress, but children who learn resilience from their parents' handling of these stresses are fortunate indeed. This book should help parents guide their children toward this necessary resilience.

Larry B. Silver, M.D., clinical professor of psychiatry, Georgetown University Medical Center
All parents want their child to be successful, happy, and able to handle life's stresses. Drs. Brooks and Goldstein offer these parents a clear and practical guide to build such resilience. Each chapter describes a different guidepost and illustrates what can be done to foster psychological strength, hope, and optimism. Thanks to the advice and guidance of these authors, parents truly can raise resilient children.

Emmy E. Werner, Ph.D., author of Vulnerable and Invincible
A masterful synthesis of current research on resilience with thoughtful recommendations for parents who want to help their children overcome the odds.

Michael Thompson, PH.D., author of Raising CainRaising Resilient Children is a uniquely wise guide for parents. Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein help mothers and fathers to focus on their child's strengths, not on his or her weaknesses. The result is a happier, more resilient child. This book could really make a difference in the life of a family.

Melvin D. Levine, M.D., professor of pediatrics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
The very act of reading this book will enable parents themselves to be resilient and to transplant this attribute into the minds and spirits of their offspring.

Myrna Shure, Ph.D., author of Raising a Thinking Child
This is a must-read for any parent who wants their children to take control of their lives and not let life take control of them.

Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to DistractionRaising Resilient Children is both inspiring and practical. The authors -- both of whom have warm hearts and brilliant minds -- have culled through a vast amount of research in order to present to the reader what matters most. This book is a great blessing upon parents and teachers. It tells us what we need to know and informs us about what concerns us most -- our children. As both a parent and a child psychiatrist, I highly recommend this book. It is superb.

Barbara D. Ingersoll, PH.D., author of Your Hyperactive Child
When two such talented and experienced psychologists collaborate, the result is a book that thinking parents everywhere will want to read. No gimmicks, no pat solutions -- just a thought-provoking and informed approach to raising children who can cope, survive, and thrive in today's fast-paced, hard-driving society.

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